Of course, as in so many things automotive, Ferrari (NYSE: RACE) has been an exception. Or to put the question another way, is Ferrari's valuation justified? Many things have changed about Ferrari since its founding in 1947, but one thing hasn't: Its race-bred cars are still for the moneyed few.

Ferrari (NYSE: RACE) reported solid first-quarter earnings despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, but warned that the current quarter is shaping up to be a difficult one, and it cut its profit forecast for the full year. Ferrari's first-quarter operating profit of 220 million euros ($241.4 million) was down 5% from a year ago, as an increase in deliveries failed to offset the loss of much of the income generated by its Formula 1 racing team after races were canceled. Ferrari reports its financial results in euros.

Luxury sports car maker Ferrari still expects to make more than $1 billion in core profit this year, providing a relative beacon of stability in an auto industry ravaged by the coronavirus crisis. The company, known for its red Formula One racing cars and its prancing horse logo, cut its 2020 core earnings forecast on Monday, blaming a hit to motor sport revenues among other pressures, and warning of an extremely tough second quarter. Ferrari shares closed up 1.5% at 154.50 euros, having fallen over 5% immediately after news of the downgrade.

Luxury carmaker Ferrari <RACE.MI> said on Thursday it would restart operations at its Maranello and Modena plants on May 4, when Italy is set to start lifting lockdown measures. The two facilities, both located in Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, have been closed since mid-March when Rome imposed curbs on people's movements and froze manufacturing activities deemed as non essential, to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The sites will resume operations "gradually" and return to full production on Friday May 8, Ferrari said.

Workers at Ferrari are signing up en masse for voluntary coronavirus screening so they can return to work as soon as possible in an ambitious scheme that could serve as a blueprint for manufacturers desperate to resume production. Under its "Back on Track" project, Ferrari staff, families and suppliers first take blood tests to see if they're clear and will then be given an app which will alert them if they've been in close contact with any scheme members who contract COVID-19. As manufacturers in Europe and North America scramble to find ways to restart their businesses while keeping the virus out of production sites, Ferrari's scheme to test workers and track possible cases of COVID-19 is being closely watched.

Luxury carmaker Ferrari <RACE.MI> has begun making parts to convert snorkel masks into respirators for treating patients with coronavirus and protecting medical workers. The idea of adapting the masks, originally proposed by Italian engineers, is now being used in several countries to meet a surge in demand for respirators during the pandemic. Ferrari on Thursday said in a statement that it had started making thermoplastic valves and fittings for masks using its 3D printing technology at its Maranello plant.

Ferrari <RACE.MI> said on Wednesday it was piloting a project to conduct voluntary screening of employees and their families for coronavirus once the supercarmaker's factories in Italy reopen. In a statement, Ferrari said its "Back on Track" plan, developed with a pool of virologists and experts, was designed to create a safe working environment for when its operations restarted.

The boss of Exor <EXOR.MI> showed confidence on Wednesday in the success of three transformative deals set to reshape its multi-billion portfolio of corporate holdings, despite being caught at mid-air by the coronavirus crisis. In a letter to the holding's shareholders, boss John Elkann, the scion on Italy's Agnelli dynasty, said his family had been in business for a long time and had "overcome wars, revolutions, crises and pandemics".

Luxury carmaker Ferrari <RACE.MI> said on Friday it would extend the shutdown of its two Italian plants and reopen on April 14, provided it had supplies, and update 2020 forecasts in May when it releases its first-quarter earnings. Ferrari this month closed factories in Maranello and Modena, in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, for two weeks until March 27 in a response to the coronavirus outbreak and a shortage of parts. Investment firm Exor <EXOR.MI>, which controls Ferrari, on Wednesday said that current plant closures at Ferrari as well as at other controlled companies Fiat Chrysler <FCHA.MI> and CNH Industrial <CNHI.MI>, though temporary, might continue.

LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - From Washington to London, Beijing to Rome, governments are drafting automakers and aerospace manufacturers to ramp up production of ventilators and other medical equipment to bolster what most experts say is an inadequate arsenal of coronavirus treatment tools. Authorities are hoping large-scale manufacturers can use their low-cost supply chains and digital design expertise, including 3D printing, and repurpose some factories in order to make up the expected shortfall in vital medical hardware. Some of Britain's biggest aerospace and car companies have formed three teams to produce basic ventilators to help the country's National Health Service cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Italian carmakers Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler are in talks with the nation's biggest ventilator manufacturer to help to boost production of the life-saving machines that are urgently needed in the coronavirus crisis, company officials said on Thursday. Italy is at the epicenter of the pandemic and its government has embarked on a big expansion of the number of intensive care beds, many of which will require ventilators to keep patients alive by taking over breathing functions. Siare Engineering in northern Italy, where deaths are nearing 3,000 and climbing sharply, is in talks with Fiat Chrysler (FCA), Ferrari and Italian parts maker Marelli to make some parts, source others and to possibly help with the assembly of ventilators.

Luxury carmaker Ferrari <RACE.MI> said on Saturday it closed its two plants until March 27 in a response to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy and an emerging shortage of parts. Ferrari adds to a string of Italian manufacturers which have closed plants or slowed production rates in response to the virus emergency, threatening to disrupt Europe's struggling automotive industry. Ferrari said in a statement it had so far ensured production continuity, as it already implemented all the health measures decided by the Italian government at the two sites, located in hometown Maranello and in Modena, in the northern Emilia Romagna region.